As with question #1, the commonly held belief is that latakia is produced by a special curing process of Turkish leaf and that it is not in and of itself a tobacco "type". Anyone know what Turkish leaf latakia is most commonly made from? Basma? Smyrna? Bashi-Bagli? Any or all of them? Is it a secret?

Could be. As far as I've ever seen, "Turkish" tobacco consists of tobacco from Turkey and Greece, the general Macedonian area. However, I don't think that area covers Syria or Cyprus. So perhaps it is not actual Turkish tobacco, or perhaps it's a different strain.

Could be. As far as I've ever seen, "Turkish" tobacco consists of tobacco from Turkey and Greece, the general Macedonian area. However, I don't think that area covers Syria or Cyprus. So perhaps it is not actual Turkish tobacco, or perhaps it's a different strain.

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Turkish tobacco covers almost all of the tobaccos from the region formerly under Ottoman rule. Latakia is of Syrian origin but also from Cyprus and Turkey. Most latakia in those blends are not Syrian latakia either, they are Cyprus latakia.

If by Turkish leaf you mean tobacco produced in Turkey there are many different ones;
1. around Izmir; akhisar, manisa, tire tobaccos.
2. around Bursa-balıkesir
3. from north, Karadeniz; samsun-bafra tobaccos, tokat tobaccos, trabzon tobaccos, also a bit of tobacco in and around Gümüşhacıköy.
4. east; adıyaman, yayladağ and bitlis tobaccos.
Also some tumbak, virginia and cigar type tobacco. These 3 are the least of the production.